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Æ36 - Gordian III ΗΡΑΚΛΗΑϹ ΜΑΤΡΟϹ ΑΠΟΙΚΩΝ ΠΟΛΙΩΝ

Issuer Heraclea Pontica (Bithynia and Pontus)
Year 238-244
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Diameter 35 mm
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Obverse description Bare-headed, beardless bust of Heracles facing left, draped in the Nemean lion skin knotted at the throat, with the scalp drawn over the head; the hero holds a club in the field. The portrait is rendered in the robust, heroic manner characteristic of provincial bronze coinage from Heraclea Pontica under Gordian III. The obverse legend ΤΟΝ ΚΤΙϹΤΑΝ ('for the founder') arcs around the bust, identifying Heracles as the legendary founder and patron of the city.
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Reverse description Heracles, nude, seated left upon a rocky outcrop, extends his right hand toward a small Eros who stands before him facing right; a second small Eros perches in a tree at left, holding a bow and arrow and appearing to take aim. The composition is an unusual and playful mythological scene illustrating the amorous vulnerability of the hero. The encircling legend ΗΡΑΚΛΗΑϹ ΜΑΤΡΟϹ ΑΠΟΙΚΩΝ ΠΟΛΙΩΝ identifies Heraclea as the mother-city of its colonies, emphasizing civic pride and the city's colonial heritage.
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Mintage ND (238-244)
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